Murders jump, domestic violence assaults spike in NSW shock new figures reveal

The number of people murdered in NSW has jumped by almost 40 per cent during the past two years, while reported domestic assaults have also spiked, new figures reveal.

There were 74 murders recorded in the 12 months to March 2019 - up from 53 in the previous year - according to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

But executive director Don Weatherburn said the increase was not the start of an upward trend, describing the number of murders in the 2017-2018 period as "unusually small".

"The number last year (74) is closer to what we've experienced over the last five years," he said today.

"Ten years ago we were experiencing something between 80 or 90 murders a year."

He said the six per cent rise in domestic violence assaults was likely due to increased reporting rather than more instances of the crime.

However, it's unclear what had caused a 5.8 per cent rise in acts of indecent assaults and acts of indecency over the 24 months.

"It may well be that in the wake of the royal commission, people have become more attuned to the possibility of indecent assault and more willing to report it," he said.

"I do know that it's not historical cases, so we're talking about current cases."